Federica Jackson

Photos dump from summer and fall 2023!

Prom night for my baby ❤️

Let us live like flowers, wild and beautiful and drenched in sun ~Ellen Everett

Mediterranean lentil salad:
2-3 cups Cooked lentils
1 large cucumber
2 medium tomatoes
1/4 white or red onion
2 mangos
Dressing:
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
1 tsp chopped garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper.
Hello protein and fiber!!!

Lentils are made up of more than 25% protein, which makes them an excellent meat alternative. They’re also a great source of iron, a mineral that is sometimes lacking in vegetarian diets.

Mediterranean lentil salad:
2-3 cups Cooked lentils
1 large cucumber
2 medium tomatoes
1/4 white or red onion
2 mangos
Dressing:
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
1 tsp chopped garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper.
Hello protein and fiber!!!

Lentils are made up of more than 25% protein, which makes them an excellent meat alternative. They’re also a great source of iron, a mineral that is sometimes lacking in vegetarian diets.

1 cup (198 grams) of cooked lentils generally provides the following:

Calories: 230
Carbs: 39.9 grams
Protein: 17.9 grams
Fat: 0.8 grams
Fiber: 15.6 grams
Thiamine: 28% of the DV
Niacin: 13% of the DV
Vitamin B6: 21% of the DV
Folate: 90% of the DV
Pantothenic acid: 25% of the DV
Iron: 37% of the DV
Magnesium: 17% of the DV
Phosphorus: 28% of the DV
Potassium: 16% of the DV
Zinc: 23% of the DV
Copper: 55% of the DV
Manganese: 43% of the DV

Lentils are high in fiber, which supports regular bowel movements and the growth of healthy gut bacteria.

Best slaw/ salad ever!!! Broccoli ramen slaw.
Recipe:
1 broccoli slaw package
1 package of ramen noodles
Any kind of nuts/seeds ( I used sunflower seeds and dried cranberries)
Dressing:
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup of sugar or honey (you can skip this or as long you reduce the amount of vinegar)
3 tbs rice vinegar
3 tbs olive oil
Ramen seasoning packet
Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Enjoy!!🤤

Kale gnocchi with a butternut bisque sauce, and of course, nutritional yeast for a cheesy and nutty taste.

Bring it!

There are 4 things you can’t get back in life:
1. The word after it’s said
2. An opportunity after it’s missed
3. Time after it’s gone
4. Trust after it’s lost

It’s flu season!! Did you get your flu shot yet? No one wants to deal with runny nose, stuffiness, fatigue, etc. Want to boost your immune system? Here is my advise:
#1 incorporate vitamin C in your diet. A good source of vitamin C and folate is orange juice (no added sugar)
#2 avoid eating too many added sugars
#3 high salt diets are linked to weakened immune system. If you are a salt addict like me, replace it with spices such as garlic, red flake peppers, black pepper, basil or origano.
#4 switch from cocktails to mocktails. Mocktails?? Yes, squeeze lemon juice, or slice fresh fruit in your water. Flavored sparkling water is ok too as long there is no added sugar.
#5 eat protein rich food
#6 eat fermented food: yogurts, kimchi, miso.

Lunch time!!!! Stuffed peppers. Sweet long peppers 🌶hummus, cucumbers 🥒, tomatoes🍅, kalamata olives 🫒feta cheese and a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning .

You are the main character of your story. So live the way you want to be rembembered.

My favorite salad: burrata, tomatoes and basil leaves 🥗

You don’t need to be on top of the tallest mountain 🏔to be on top of the world 🌎. You can see the beauty in all the ugliest place. You can be the light ☀️in the darkest places🌚

Fun fact:

Before reaching out for your phone in the morning, try experiencing 15-20 minutes of natural sunlight ☀️. Research suggests morning sunlight can reboot your circadian rhythm and regulate your sleep 💤- awake 😃 cycle.

What would an Italian wife do when she is bored and it is raining outside? She bakes! Cena leggera (light dinner). Freshly baked bread with farm fresh tomatoes and burrata with a light drizzle of olive oil and fresh thyme. Dessert: amaretti (almond cookies)

Cajun shrimp on Zuddles! What a great combo! Yes I might be a little biased with my poke bowls but there is nothing better than zuddles on a “hot” summer evening! Recipe anyone?

Slayed it!! Ironwoman 2021 40+! Proud of it! !

Loaded sweet potatoes nachos 😋 perfect nutritious combo after some physical training

It’s a dinner full of green. Swordfish with chimichurri sauce, dandelions and avocado and yes its beer night. Dark larger from Lost Nation! It’s a beer kind of night!

Triathlon training day #1 on the books!

This week menu: Orecchiette with broccolini, sweet potatoes tacos and (yes that is my husband hand not being patient with me trying to take pics for the IG) roasted brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes and broccoli with a side of bruschetta.

Some vegan meals from this past week. I’m really enjoying this vegan life. I don’t miss meat at all, but I do miss cheese. I feel healthy and my skin shows it. I don’t feel tired and my doctor loved my cholesterol levels, I’ve never had high cholesterol (f*%^ You, bad genes! 🖕🏼). I work out pretty regularly (which I always did) but I lost 1.5inches from my waist📏. What?? I wish my weight would change a bit too ⚖️! My stress level is so high right now! I honestly never felt more stressed in my life. School, work,life, etc. I incorporated some meditation in my daily routine which it seems to help🧘🏻‍♀️! Stay healthy and remember to always put your physical and mental health first my friends!

Day 7 of my vegan life: I made pizza with kale and mushroom and I replaced the cheese with nutritional yeast. So good! I don’t know if any of you ever tried nutritional yeast but I’m obsessed. It tastes a little like parmesan cheese but with no fats so no guilt. It’s amazing on popcorn too! 🙀😽 Back to last night menu...vegan apple crisp. Replaced the butter with coconut oil and the flour topping with almond flour. I roasted some almond too just for extra almond taste and extra texture. Unfortunately I followed a recipe that asked for 1/4 of sugar in the topping mixture and I found it to be too sweet for me. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I haven’t had sugar in quite sometime. My sous chef loved it (hubby ) 😻 I find that I have more energy in the afternoon/evening. The other night I forced myself to hop on the thread mill promising myself that would run only one mile. I ran 3 effortlessly, I lifted weights and did a 20 minutes ab workout. 🎉🎉🎉🏃🏽‍♀️💪🏼. My sleep is crap! I crash on the couch at 10, and I wake up at 4 every morning. Of course I’m tired by 10 am. It is right after lunch that I get a boost of energy. So far I have not noticed any major weight loss. I don’t feel bloated. I don’t feel hungry because I eat a lot of fruit, veggies and almonds throughout the day. My breakfast consist of a blend of berries, bananas, oats and macadamia milk. Amazing!! The menu for next week is almost complete. I picked out a few recipes that I’m dying to try. I found that having a menu for the week helps with the grocery bill. Yes! It takes work to come up with a menu but it saves money and you can avoid spending time in front of the fridge trying to figure out what to make for dinner with the food you have left in there. 💸💸 So far I am loving this new lifestyle. What I love the most is that I can use some creativity with my meals!

Up until two months ago, I was one of those people who swore that butter was my lifeblood and that I would absolutely die without cheese. My favorite thing to cook was smoked steak tips. Then, in an afternoon, I decided none of that was for me anymore and bam... I became vegan. Ok...no it was not that easy! I suppose I have always been a little curious about vegetarianism and veganism but my brain would try to justify meat consumption “meat protein is good for you; it’s the food chain; everyone eats meat” — and I spent hours online researching and trying to find any logical, compelling arguments against veganism. I am going to give it a try. My first couple of days were exciting. I looked up many great vegan recipe, went grocery shopping and found great alternatives. On day 3-4 I felt sluggish, moody, tired. I am on day 5 of this journey and I’m starting to get my energy back. The 2 pictures above are 2 of the 5 meals I made. I made a weekly calendar, each night I am going to try a new vegan recipe and I will document my progress. Ask me anything! youthfountain

Just be kind!

...and she is back💪🏼🏃🏽‍♀️ #7.14min/mile 🎉🎉